When it comes to voting for the NBA's Coach of the Year, there's a bias against coaches on the league's best teams you can trace to the man whose name now adorns the trophy.

The award was created for the 1962-63 season, during which Red Auerbach's Boston Celtics had the league's best record at 58-22. The award, though, went to the St. Louis Hawks' Harry Gallatin, whose team had gone 48-32.

Only 14 times in the 50 years since its inception has the award gone to the coach of the team with the best record in the league. This suggests voters presume coaching the game's best players is somehow easier than milking victories from lesser rosters, a media mindset that appears to have strengthened through the years.

In the past 30 seasons, the winningest coach won the award only eight times, including Gregg Popovich of the Spurs in 2003 and 2012.

This explains why you don't hear much about Miami's Erik Spoelstra as the favorite to receive the Red Auerbach Trophy this season, despite his Heat owning the league's top record, including a 27-game winning streak that recently ended.

Most often, the award is more about the coach who did the most with the least.

This season, that puts Denver's George Karl in the most favorable spot to earn a distinction that has eluded him, even as he has compiled 1,126 victories, the sixth-most all-time.

Karl's Nuggets are one of six teams with at least 50 wins. That he has done this with a roster devoid of All-Stars earns my top-line vote for Coach of the Year.

(Ballots do not have to be filed until the regular season has been completed, and this race is so close one would do a disservice to all legitimate candidates by not waiting until every game has been played.)

Yes, the fact Karl has overcome some horrific health issues will be a factor with some voters. He has had to alter his sideline coaching style to account for the loss of vocal volume that accompanied treatment for throat cancer. That's not easy, especially after 20-plus years of yelling at players and referees.

It's also true Karl has optimized the skills of one of the league's youngest teams and has gotten certain players to buy in, most notably JaVale McGee, who have been difficult in past situations.

Popovich adjusted his defensive scheme to lead the Spurs back among the league's elite in that category.

That he has accomplished this despite a season in which he has used 17 different starting lineups and dealt with injuries to most of his key players makes him even more deserving of a first-place vote than he was last year.

But don't hold your breath if you're hoping for another trophy for Popovich. Not once in the award's history has there been a repeat winner.

Not even when the Bulls followed their all-time best 72-10 season with a 69-13 campaign and a second straight title did Phil Jackson go back to back.

And as for Spoelstra?

For the moment, he'll be on the third line of my ballot.

Of course, if the Heat close out the season on another win streak and finish 66-16, I'll have to re-think things before sending in my ballot.